Peat-mill.



No. 813,520. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906. F. A. PRITSGHAU. FEAT MILL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24, 1905.

No. 813,520. PATENTED FEB. 2'7, 1906*.

P. A.V PRITSCHAU.

PEAT MILL. APPLICATION FILED APB.24, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 818,520. PATEN'I'ED FEB. 27, 1906.

` E'. A. PRITSCHAU.

PRAT MILL. APPLICATION FILED .93.24, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fay. 8.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

'UNITED sTATns -PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND A. PRITSCHAU, OF TOLEDO` OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE COM- MERCIAL ARTIFICIAL FUEL COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPO- RATION OF ARIZONA TERRITORY.

PEAT-NIILL.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented ret. 27, l190e.

To @ZZ whom, 7115 Wut?! concer-11,:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND A. FRIT- scHAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Peat-Mills, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a peat-mill, and has for its object to provide a mill of the kind whereby peat as it comes from the bog or bed may be thoroughly disintegrated, the fibrous portions sheared through and evenly cornmingled with the mass, and the whole pugged into a condensed homogeneous plastic condition and expressed in continuous separate columns adapted to be severed into briquets of convenient size for use; Jfurthermore, to provide a mill of the kind with cuttingknives readily detachable for sharpening and cleaning and with shear-blades coacting with the knives and adapted to sever the fibrous portions and to prevent centrifugal movement of the mass of material in the mill, whereby a uniform progression of the material from its raw state to a iinished uniform product is attained. I accomplish these objects by constructing a peat-mill as hereinafter described, and illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my mill with a portion of the hopper casing broken away on one side to show portions of the interior mechanism. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line y y of Fig. 1, showing one of the series of shear-spiders and the detachable knives coacting therewith. Fig. 3 is a similar section on line @/y of Fig. 1, showing the disintegrator -spiders Fig. 4 is a top View of the worm-casing with the hopper and the upper half of the casing removed and showing a horizontal section of the die and spout extension. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the same on line a; ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the detachable spout, on line of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a pedestal for the worm-shafts; and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on line y y of Fig. 1, showing a top view of the series of shear-spiders and their coacting detachable knives.

In the drawings, 1 represents the millbody, which comprises the horizontally-disposed worm-casing 2 and the hopper-casing 3, mounted upright on one end portion of the worm-casing, the body 1 being supported on a suitable bed-frame 4 by the shaft-pedestal 5 at one end of the worm-casing and the pedestals 6 and 7 disposed at intervals therefrom beneath the worm-casing. The hopper-casing is laterally braced by the brace-bars 8, diverging from the top portion of the hoppercasing to bed-frame 4.

The lower portion of the hopper-casing 3 is cylindrical and is providedwith a concentric base-flange 9, which coincides with the top flange 10 of a conical enlargement 11 of the detachable upper section 12 of the worm-casing, which is provided with the side iianges 13, coinciding with the side ianges 14 of the lower section of the worm-casing, and the coinciding flanges 9 and 10 and the side flan es 13 and 14 have registering bolt holes, y

which they are respectively bolted together by bolts 15. The upper portion of the hopper is conically enlarged, and the top is open and provided with a flanged rim 16 and with the arch-yoke 17, which springs from and is suitably secured to diametric portions of the flanged rim. Central of the arch 17 and in alinement with the axis of the hopper is socket-bearing 18 for the upper end of a vertical shaft 19, which extends axially through the hopper and through the worm-casing and has its lower end portion journaled and shouldered in and on a pedestal-bearing 20, mounted on the bed-frame. Upon the lower end portion of the shaft 19 is iixedly mounted the bevelgear 21, which intermeshes with the bevel gear-wheel 22, mounted on the inner end of the main driving-shaft 23, journaled in the lower bearing 24 of the shaft-pedestal 5 and the alined lower bearing 25 of the shaft-pedestal 26, the shaft 23 having a portion extending outside the bearing 25, upon which is mounted the driving pulley 27. to which the power is applied which operates the mill.

The worm-casing is bicylindrical, as shown in Fig. 5, and there is rotatably mounted therein two worm-shafts 28 and 28, having complementary interacting worm-blades 29 and 29', reversely pitched, so that the shafts being reversely revolved the one to the other the worm-blades jointly and separately operate to move material received from the hop- IOO per toward the spout. vWorm-shaft 28 extends ythrough an upper bearing 30 of the shaft-pedestal 5 and through a bearing 31 of a stepped-up portion 32 of the shaft-pedestal 26 and has an end portion extending beyond the bearing 31, upon which is mounted the spur gear-wheel 33, having a diameter adapting it to intermesh with a pinion of reduc-edr diameter mounted opposite on the main shaft 23, whereby the worm-shaft 28 is revolved oppositelyto the main shaft and at reduced speed. The worin-shaft 28' extends parallel with its companion shaft 28 through a bearing 3l' on the pedestal 5, and on the outer end portion projecting beyond the bearing is mounted a spur gear-wheel 34', which intermeshes with a spur gear-wheel 34 of equal diameter, that is mounted opposite on shaft 28, whereby the worin-shaft 28' is revolved at equal speed and reversely to that of shaft 28.

The middle portion 35 of the vertical shaft 19 which extends through the` cylindrical portion of the hopper-casing, is enlarged and squared to receive a plurality of shear-spiders 36, which are mounted thereon one above another, each comprising a hub portion 37, having a squared central orifice to receive the shaft, and a plurality of pairs of shear-blades 38 eccentric to and extending tangential and horizontal from the hub at regular intervals, the blades of each pair being parallel one above the other and the upper blades of the pairs being in a plane parallel with the plane of the lower blades. The hub of each shear-spider between the upper and lower shear-blades is provided with a concentric groove 37'. Opposite each shear-spider in the planes of the upper and lower shear-blades 38 the outer wall of the cylindrical portion of the hoppercasing is provided with a pair of integral concentric rib-fianges 39 and 39', which at regular radial intervals are cross-connected to form thickened portions 40 of the wall, through which are provided the rectangular radial openings 41 to receive knife-bars 42, having edged portions of a length to extend radially through the casing into the grooves 39 of the respective hubs 37 of the spiders and handles 43, by which they may be inserted and withdrawn. The knives 42 for each spider 36 are located in the horizontal plane of the concentric groove 39 of its hub, so that as the shearspiders revolve the upper shear-blades pass over the upper faces and the lower shearblades under the lower faces of the knives, as shown in Fig. 1. The knives for each shearspider are preferably located out of vertical line with the knives for the other shear-spiders and in spiral radial progression, as shown in Fig. 9. The shear-blades 38 are beveled to form shearing edges which are forward in the direction of the movement of the blades and rearward ofvlines radial to the hub and parallel with the edges, and in passing the knives, by reason of the tangential and eccentric projection of the blades from the hubs, the edges of the blades shear past the edges of the knives at an acute angle and progressively from the outer ends of the blades toward the hub.

Above theshear-spiders on the upper end portion of the squared portion of the shaft 19 1s fixedly mounted the disintegrator-spider 44, having the central hub 44', provided with a central squared opening to receive the shaft and a plurality of arms 45, arranged at equal intervals eccentric and tangential to the hub and extending, as to the direction of revolution, rearward of radial lines drawn parallel with the arms in a horizontal plane to near the Wall of the hopper-casing. The spiderarms 45 are provid ed at regular intervals with the pin-teeth 45', projecting upward therefrom. Above the spider 44 is provided the spider 46, having a central hub 47, which is provided with a central bore to receive the upper rounded and reduced portion of the shaft 19, and with a plurality of arms 48, radiating from the hub and extending to the wall of the casing. The outer ends of the arms 48 are provided with flanges 49, suitably angled and provided with bolt-holes by which the arms are attached to the conicallyflared Wall of the hopper casing, and the bodies of the arms are provided at regular intervals with downwardly-extending pin-teeth 50, so located that the teeth of the spider 44 as it is revolved pass between the teeth 50 of the stationary spider 46.

The outer end of the worm-casing is provided with a die extension 51, which is connected to the inwardly-grooved end flange 52 of the worm-casing by the flange 51'. The top of the die 51 is curved downward and fiattened, and the sides are converged and flattened from the bicylindrical form of the worm-casing to a reduced rectangular box shape at its outer end portion 53, to which is hinged by the hinges y54 the spout extension 55, adapted to be locked in extended position by latch-hooks 56, pivoted to each side of the outer end portion 53 of the die and adapted to engage latch-lugs 57, suitably located on the spout extension. The spout 55 is provided at the top with a plurality of longitudinal slots 58, arranged parallel at regular di- 'IOO IIO

visional intervals, at opposite ends of which are provided bifurcated lugs 59, having transverse alined pin-holes, and in these slots are inserted the detachable triangular blades of the slicing-knives 60, having end lugs 61 and 61', adapted to enter the bifurcated lugs 59 of the spout and provided with pin-holes adapted to register with the pin-holes of the lugs 57, whereby the knives are secured in position dividing the spout by the pins 62. The blade portions of the knives 60 are of a width at the exit of the spout to rest in the grooves 63 in the bottom of the die, and the edges of the blades are inclined upward and rearward therefrom. Thus secured the knives are readily detached by the removal of both pins 62 or lifted pivotally from the slots by the removal of the inner pin.

Between the end flange 52 of the wormcasing and its detachable upper section 12 is also provided a removable lid-section 64, which is secured on the lower section by the link-collars 65, linked around the casing near the ends of the lid, whereby the lid is securely attached to the lower section and is readily removed therefrom whenever access to the worm-shafts is desirable forv any purpose. One-half of the grooved end flange `52 of the worm-casing is formed on the lid 64, and the die-flange 51 is first inserted in the groove of the lower half of the flange 52, and the attachment of the die is completed when the lid 46 is secured in position by the link-collars, with the upper half of the flange 52 engaging the upper half of the die-flange 51.

Around the top of the cylindrical portion of the hopper-casing is provided a band 66, formed of two half-sections having end portions angled outward and bolted to trunnionbars 67, adapted to adjustably support an elevator (not shown) for filling the hopper.

To adjustably secure the lower end portion of the brace-bars 8, the bed-frame is provided with the foot-brackets 68, having rectangular box-grooves 69 of dimensions to permit the end portions of the brace-bars to be inserted into the bracket-grooves, and the end portions are provided with open slots 70, extending from their lower ends upward to receive the stud-bolts 71 of the brackets which project transversely outward through the grooves and by which the end portions of the brace-bars may be secured at different elevations by tightening the nuts of the bolts, thereby providing a ready means of adjusting the hopper-casing and the plugging-shaft vertical to the bed-frame, if the latter becomes in any degree out of level.

The worm-blades 29 and 29 are formed of collar-sections 72, each having a half-turn integral section 73 of the complete blade, and the orifices of the collar-sections and the body portions' of the shafts on which they are .mounted are made angular to prevent turning of the sections thereon, and the sections are secured on the shaft against lateral separation by nuts 74, run on threaded end portions of the worm-shafts. By this construction any injury to any portion of a wormblade is made readily repairable by the removal of the injured section and the substitution of a new one. The blade portions of the collar-sections 72, located on opposite 75, mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft before mounting the gear-wheel 21 thereon, to the bottom of the casing. By this construction l provide for the application of the power to operate the shaft below the worm-casing instead of at the top, where it would greatly interfere with the filling of the hopper and would require greatly-increased weight and strength in the construction of the body of the mill.

Thus constructed the operation of the mill is as follows: The driving-pulley being revolved in the direction to revolve the vertical mill-shaft so as to move the tangential arms and shear-blades of the spiders in the direction shown by the arrows in Figs. 2, 3, and 9,

the worm-shafts will be revolved toward each other at the top ofthe worm-casing and away from each other at the bottom of the casing, and raw peat beingI dumped into the hopper luntil the hopper-casing and the worm-casing are filled and the first product of the mill being thrown back into the hopper until the prod- `uct is entirely clear of any portions of the raw `material that may have escaped the disintegrator and the shears during the commencement of the operation and until the l hopper-casing has become lled up to the disintegrator with a disintegrated mass of material, all raw material filled in the hopper thereafter will first be subjected to the disintegrator, which will thoroughly break up and tear it to pieces before it reaches the first shear-spider, and thereafter in passing downward through the several shear-spiders it will not only be thoroughly pugged thereby, but all fibrous matter therein will be sheared into shorter and shorter lengths until it becomes thoroughly commingled with the mass. After passing the shears and knives the mass will be further kneaded and mixed by the action of the worm-blades as it is being carried forward toward the die and spout. As the product passes through the contracted die portion it is condensed and passes out through the diespout, where it is divided by the knives into separate columns and expressed onto a table or apron, (not shown,) where they may be conveniently severed into briquets of suitable length.

By the tangential projection of the shearblades I not only provide for the shear-cutting action of the blades, but they prevent any centrifugal movement of the mass of material,which would leave an opening around the shaft into which raw undisintegrated portions might otherwise gravitate and escape the action of the knives and shears, and like tangential projection of the arms of the disintesides of the shaft 19, are omitted in order to grator-spider prevents like centrifugal movepermit the extension of the shaft through the worm-casing between the worm-shafts, and to facilitate the introduction and removal of the vertical shaft an enlarged squared opening which is closed by bolting a collar-plate ment of the raw material, thereby reducing the leverage strain on the arms and rendering the inner teeth equally as effective as the outer for disintegration.

While I have shown and described my mill IIO as adapted for the reduction of raw peat to a homogeneous condensed plastic product and its delivery in form for ready conversion into convenient form for use as fuel, it is obvious that the principle of construction and operation of my disintegrator-spiders and shearspiders and detachable knives may be advantageously employed in mills for like reduction of other materials than peat, and I therefore do not limit myself to the special use of those features of my invention to peat reduction alone.

What I claim to be new isl. In a disintegrating mill, the combination with a hopper casing, and a vertical shaft axial to the casing and revoluble therein, of a disintegrator comprising a stationary spider having a central journal-bearing for the shaft, and a plurality of arms extending` radial from the bearing in a horizontal plane and secured by their outer ends to the wall of the casing, and a revolving spider having a central hub adapted to be fixedly mounted on the shaft, and a plurality of arms respectively extendingr tangential and eccentric from the hub, at intervals around the hub, in a plane parallel with the plane of the arms of the fixed spider, and, as respects direction of revolution, rearward of ra dial lines parallel with the arms, the arms of the spiders each having a plurality of pin-teeth at intervals of their length, the teeth of the revolving spider being located to pass through intervals between teeth of the stationary spider, and means to revolve the shaft toward the angles of the arms.

2. In a mill for reducing peat and other fibrous materials, the combination with a hopper-casing and a vertical shaft axial to the casing 'and revoluble therein, of knives secured at intervals to the wall of the casing, and extending inward radial to the shaft in a common plane transverse the shaft, and a i shear-spider mounted on and revoluble with the'shaft, said spider having a central hub portion by which it is mounted on the shaft,

and a plurality of shear-blades extending atl intervals tangential and eccentric from the hub in a plane parallel with the plane of the knives, adapting the edges of the shear-blades,

as the shaft revolves, to progressively shear past the edges of the knives, from their outer toward their inner ends, with the edges of the blades forward as to the direction of movement, and rearward of radial lines parallel therewith.

3. In-a mill for reducing peat and other fibrous earthy material, the combination with a hopper-casing and a vertical shaft axial to the casing and revoluble therein, of knives detachably secured at intervals in the wall of the casing, and having blade portions extending inward radial to the shaft in a common plane transverse the shaft, and handle portions extending outward from the casing, and

a shear-s ide'r having a central hub mounted and fixe on the shaft and aplurality of shearblades extending at intervals tangential and eccentric from the hub in aplane parallel with the plane of the knives, with the edges of the blades forward as to the direction of movement, and rearward of radial lines parallel therewith, adapting the edges of the shearblades to progressively shear past the edges of the knives from their outer ends toward the hub, as the shaft revolves.

4. In a mill for reducing peat and other fibrous earthy material, the combination of a hopper-casing having a cylindrical portion provided with a series of radial rectangular openings arranged in a series of horizontal planes, and, as respecting each plane, at regular intervals around the casing, and as respecting the series of planes in spiral order around the cylindrical portion, a vertical shaft axial to the cylindrical portion, knifebars detachably secured in the openings radial to the shaft, and having inner portions provided with shearing edges, and outer handle portions by which the inner portions ma be withdrawn fromv and inserted through the openings, and a series of shear-spiders one for each knife-plane, each havin a central hub mounted and fixed on the sha t, and a plurality of bifurcated shear-blades extending at regular intervals, tangential and eccentric to the hub, with the rection of revolution of the shaft and rearward of radial lines parallel therewith, and adapted as the shaft revolves to shear past the upper and lower edges of all the knifebars extending in their plane.

edges forwardV as to the di- IOO 5. In a mill for reducing peat and other fibrous earthy material, the combination with a hopper-casing mounted on a worm-casing, of a pair of worm shafts revoluble in the worm-casing, and provided with intermeshing gear adapting one shaft to oppositely revolve lthe other at equal speed, and with complementary interacting and coacting worm-blades having opposite half-turn sections omitted in line with the axis of the hopper, a vertical pugging-shaft axial t0 the hopper and extending downward through the worin-casing between the worm-shafts in the interval of the omitted half-sections of the worm-blades, bearings for the upper and lower ends of the shaft, a gear-wheel mounted on the pugging-shaft, below the worm-casing, and a main driving-shaft having gear connection with the gear of the pugging-shaft and with one of the worm-shafts.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of April, 1905.

FERDINAND A. PRITSCHAU.

Witnesses:

V. W. MoREHoUsE, LOUISE BLAIR.

IIO 

